When McCain was interrogated in Vietnam he loved the Steelers, or was it the Packers?
Let's call the Straight Talk Express truth squad in to investigate this one. It's HOT! While visiting Pittsburgh, John McCain said that while he was captured, he really loved the Steelers! The 1967 Steelers were 4-9-1. (thanks to Scarce)
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When I was first interrogated and really had to give some information... I named the starting lineup, defensive line, of the Pittsburgh Steelers as my squadron-mates!" -- Sen. John McCain
McCain also said the same thing about the 1967 Green Bay Packers. McCain was a POW from late 1967 to early 1973.
As Newsweek states: For John McCain, memories seem to be malleable things.
But given that McCain's misremembering was so politically convenient--what better way to curry favor in a key swing-state city, really, than by slotting a beloved local sports squad into a moving personal tale?--it's worth recalling that the senator has claimed to have made exactly the same sort of "mistake" repeatedly in recent weeks.
In McCain's best-selling 1999 memoir "Faith of My Fathers," McCain writes:
"Once my condition had stabilized, my interrogators resumed their work. Demands for military information were accompanied by threats to terminate my medical treatment if I did not cooperate. Eventually, I gave them my ship's name and squadron number, and confirmed that my target had been the power plant. Pressed for more useful information, I gave the names of the Green Bay Packers offensive line, and said they were members of my squadron. When asked to identify future targets, I simply recited the names of a number of North Vietnamese cities that had already been bombed."
In 2005, A&E ran a movie version of "Faith of My Fathers."
And McCain discussed that precise clip on CNN.
The actor playing McCain, asked to name the men in his squadron, says: "Starr; Greg; McGee; Davis; Adderly; Brown; Ringo; Wood."
Cut back to real life. The CNN anchor asks McCain: "For those who don't know the story, were those NFL football players?" "That was the starting lineup of the Green Bay Packers, the first Super Bowl champions, yes," McCain responded.
UPDATE: Will this story come back to hurt McCain as we move forward in the general election? I think it gets at the truthiness of his character. I'm not sure what we can call this. It's not flip flopping, is it? And is he starting to use his war record just a little to much to promote himself?
UPDATE II: Does McCain's pandering to his Pittsburgh audience cheapen his POW experience so much, he needs to refrain from mentioning it?
This takes pandering to an all new level. Even Pittsburghers didn't fall for it.
Sorry, but this does not come even close to being a legitimate issue. McCain has so many other serious flaws and has made so many real missteps just this past week that this particular gaffe does not register at all.
The really interesting thing is that John McCain admits that "harsh interrogation tactics" just got him to make up stuff to keep his interrogators happy. Today, of course, Mr. McCain thinks such evidence should be admitted as evidence in military tribunals. Disgraceful pandering...
"Why I Won't Vote For John McCain" RE: www.military.com
http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_1,00.html
Nuff said
#2: "Sorry, but this does not come even close to being a legitimate issue. McCain has so many other serious flaws and has made so many real missteps just this past week that this particular gaffe does not register at all."
Could it actually be that this may prove to be one of his most serious flaws? He's a liar! That's can't be good.
Well, it looks like we're finally getting around to this now. bout time.
Well Guliani had "9/11."
Does McCain want to lose? How many faux pas in one week? Of course MSM is treading lightly, but the average American is paying attention( I hope!) Well this whiner is throughly pissed off! If he wins, I think I'll go to Canada, If I still have money.
tballou @ 2:
I beg to differ.
This goes straight to issues of his character. He is milking his POW experience for all its worth, which in and of itself, is rather sickening.
He's using it to pander to a city in a swing state.
He's lying freely about it, knowing that his own memoirs say that he recited the Packers.
Was he lying about the Packers as well, to make his POW experience seem more "Hollywood"?
Don't forget how much the right wing blogs went apeshit over Hillary's Bosnia story and even Obama supporters here thought it should have sunk her candidacy.
How is this different?
tballou @ 2:
So, the lying doesn't matter to you? What's wrong with calling attention to his lie? I think people can multi-task here and still address his "many other serious flaws." I think honesty is a damn good trait to look for in a President. Call me crazy...
Do you think maybe if they would have waterboarded him they would have got the real information they where looking for? And it wouldn't have been considered torture either. Or would it?
Well, we know he couldn't have "misremembered" or "misspoke" because Hillary was already crucified for that!...Not that anyone would take a shot at an old, snarling war HERO!!! Good to know that as one of the "keep it going" commenters on COUNTDOWN (Alter, I think) said..."He'll get it together eventually"...because they wouldn't want to go for his throat as if he were say, A CLINTON!!! Must treat the old hero, maverick, "strait-shooter" with kid gloves...and hope no one will notice...usually works just fine...
After ditching the press earlier this week they are starting to cover a few more of his gaffes, but not enough. This should be covered 24/7 the same way it was when Obama chose not to take public financing.
"If the national media, commentators, editorial writers, and political observers are so concerned about defending a broken public financing system, it's not Barack Obama who ought to be singled out for breaking it. McCain's campaign, in announcing a $400 million campaign, has exposed the absurdity of claims that the current public financing system replaces private money and that candidates who take public money would be removed from the money chase so that they can focus on voters and important issues."
he's got 30 more teams as he crosses the country
in the bull shxt express. when in dallas he'll say i told the enemy the dallas cowboy offensive line names.....even if he gets caught it will be considered cute/cuddley old grandpa talk.
Ringo?!? Jesus, Ringo hadn't been a member of the Packers for three years (four years, if McCain was shot down in late '67) when the team won the Super Bowl. He was in Philly. The Packers center was Ken Bowman.
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
{Deleted, While we appreciate your in put, you're off topic Sorry. Take it to an open thread.SiteMonitor}
An old conservative guy traveling around the country telling great 'stories' in which the 'facts' change constantly? Isn't McCain's behavior the definition of 'Reaganesque'? How can this possibly hurt him? Throw in some 'morning in America' BS and he'll be Pres. McCain.
Rico @ 1:
Is it pandering or just another brain cramp, one of way too many? Either way, not too happy a situation.
tballou@ #2 It shows a pattern of lying repeatedly! I gotta wonder if he ever tells the TRUTH. Seriously, this guy lies as much as Bush and is just about as competent. It cracks me up to see conservatives in his home state disown this lying two-timing, warmongering liar. Obama leads McNasty in McNasty's own home state according to Zogby.
Andy K Jong Il @ 15:
McCain sure is lucky you turned down that prison guard job in North Vietnam back in '66. I understand the pay was good, and the medical and dental as well but - fuckin' commies - no 401k.
BTW, Ken Bowman was part of the play that won the Ice Bowl, but Jerry Kramer is a much better self-promoter. FWIW. :D
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
I'd heard about the Packers thing, but not the Steelers variation. And yeah, the Steelers weren't really a great team until a few years later.
Yeah, joe, I turned down the offer. Optical was the sticking point.
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
RepubAnon @ 3:
Precisely what popped into my mind. McCain is living, high profile proof that torture doesn't work and yet he endorses it.
Either McCain is a damn liar or has another memory lapse.
His campaign is one big joke!
My god how did he ever become Senator?
Andy K Jong Il @ 23:
The dental looked good though.
McImbroglio
AHD:
im·bro·glio (¹m-br½l“y½) n., pl. im·bro·glios. 1.a. A difficult or intricate situation; an entanglement. b. A confused or complicated disagreement. 2. A confused heap; a tangle. [Italian, from Old Italian, from imbrogliare, to tangle, confuse : in-, in (from Latin; see IN-2) + brogliare, to mix, stir (probably from Old French brooiller, brouiller; see BROIL2).]
I think #2 fits best.
Maybe this is why the starting lineup of the Kabul cricket squad is locked up in Guantanamo...?
Carol @ 25:
The way most do, Lying.
The Steelers flat out stunk back then, Batochio. Not that I remeber it- I was born in '65. But I'm a fourth generation Packers fan...And the first books that I got to choose for myself at the bookstore (circa '71-'72) were all books about the NFL. My dad's buddies had me answering all their NFL trivia questions when I was 9.
I don't know how many votes this will cost McCain in Green Bay, 'cause my sense of the town (I go there for games once or twice a year) is that it's kinda rah-rah Republican territory, but it will cost him a few.
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
I think it was the Bedrock Raptors. Cliff Gneiss was quarterback.
I think it's kind of fascinating that the man can't remember how he voted on any particular bill or what his position is on any particular issue from week to week but he can remember the starting lineups from sports teams long ago. Interesting priorities.
people misremember stuff all the time. The essence of his story remains the same. I'm surely not voting for him but sometimes I call my nephews by the wrong name. If Obama did this I'd think it nothing, too.
Can't we keep it to substantive issues. I'm tired of the Right focusing on non-essential stuff just because they disagree with someone's politics - do we have to do it too?
formerpro @ 33:
Yeah, just a coincidence the team changed to the Steelers while McCain was speaking in Pittsburgh. Coulda happened to anyone...
formerpro@33
You're right. Both versions smell like bullshit.
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
amato, i've always been in favor of going after mccain's military "cred".
if anything, i learned from karl rove (who's probably a certified war criminal deserving of some new form of execution heretofore undevised) that you gotta hit 'em where it hurts most.
if mccain's "war hero" status is bull$#!+, the people gotta know.
call yourself a christian? call yourself a catholic? call yourself a pacifist?
then how does a thorough re-examination of mccain's civilian bombing rap sheet make you unpatriotic?
did he spill the beans to ho chi minh's half-retarded poet step-child over a candlelit rice, beetle grub and sake dinner?!
RepubAnon @ 3:
Why torture is somehow seen as an effective information gathering tool is beyond me. Has 24 rotted people's brains that bad?
God, this is the 80's and Reagan all over again. At least I was stoned during the 80's.
formerpro@33
Isn't it substantive enough that the guy lies at his own leisure? There isn't much that differentiates this from McCain taking credit for VA funding that he voted against.
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
hope stewart and colbert have been taking notes the last 2 weeks, because when they return on monday they have a whole lot of shit to cover concerning mccain and all of his lies and fuckups. for sure the msm won't cover any of it.
#36 Bullfrog - There's an interesting website called Vietnam Veterans against John McCain that has some very interesting information; also information on his co conspirator Bud Day. I'd link it but I'm an eejit. The google gets you there.
personally i have come to the conclusion that his myth has been mostly fabricated. i mean it's a story
that practically writes itself. people want to create a myth like that and he
has been more than willing to take advantage of it.
msnbc pointed out that neither team was popular at the time of his "captivity" yet they were popular when
the time was ripe. he is a con man.
Mickxotic @ 41:
Just as an FYI, the Vietnam Vets against McCain is run by one Ted Sampley who was part of the Swift boat crowd against Kerry and has been part of some of the Obama smears as well. Sampley is notorious for being a leech in a lot of ways.
I don't recall all of the specifics but know that he has used Vietnam memorial images without paying any fees to the Vietnam memorial groups.
As #s 3, 24, and 37 pointed out, McCain now believes in torture. How long can the media go w/o asking about this?
carefulwiththatAXEeugene @ 43:
Actually when he was captured, the Packers were at the end of a long run of about five years of championships including Super Bowls I & II
For a guy that can't find his ass with both hands, I give him credit for naming ANY NFL defensive front four. A feat like that would be an intellectual flash he has yet to show.
carefulwiththatAXEeugene@43
The Packers weren't popular in '67?!?!
They won NFL championships in '61, '62, '65 and '66. They won Super Bowl I following the '66 league title. They were on their way to winning both the league championship and Super Bowl II in '67. They were pretty popular. Hell, it might be arguable, but that dynasty is the standard to which all others in the history of the league are compared. "Yeah, but how would they hold up against the Packers of the '60's," is something you hear all the time...if you're listening at all, I guess. :D
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
Come on people, is this really what we care about? Take a look at his ludicrous budget balancing proposal, what's going on in Iraq/Afghanistan, or any of the other serious issues facing the nation. It's not like he made up being a POW - he switched football teams. Everyone does this when they tell stories. How many inconsistencies would you get caught in if you were on the record all day every day for 20 years?
The Hillary Clinton in Bosnia story would only be similar if she had told the truth about the absence of fire but claimed to visit with Martin Lawrence instead of Sinbad. She lied about a substantive aspect of the story (and it was still pretty irrelevant). He lied or misspoke about football lineups - it just doesn't matter. If we want to be able to ignore the Republican nonsense about Obama being a Muslim and Reverend Wright, we have to pass this stuff up. It makes the discourse stupider to latch on to it.
constituent @ 14
"even if he gets caught it will be considered cute/cuddley old grandpa talk."
That's exactly America's problem. Too many vote on whose lap they think they would most enjoy sitting on for an afternoon and recall memories of their youths. Memories from an idyllic time in their lives that they still haven't figured out was just a myth.
"O.K., I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital."
John Sidney McCain interview with US News and World Report May 1973
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2008/01/28/john-mccain-prisoner-of-w...
Moral Compass @ 47:
I understand your intense frustration, but where is your humanity? McCain was tortured! I do not support his politics either and also do not want him to be president, AND he is a soul just like you and me.
if he gave the Vietnamese the names of his squadron, what good would it do them. lets say they had the names of jim, bob, steve, bill ect. ect.... what good is going to do.
it's really pointless. it's like i have the name of the chinese communitst special forces wang, chang and yang. they are just common names.
{ Great story, Please bring it to an open thread. Thank You. SiteMonitor}
cgaros@49
Hell yes, it's something I care about. I could care less if it's about football teams. It goes to prove his lack of character, about his willingness to tell any type of lie!
Now you might think that this is piling on, but I think it's mounting evidence.
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
carefulwiththatAXEeugene @ 53:
Knowing who is what gives a lot of intelligence to the military.
cgaros @ 49:
Obviously you missed the fact that he used the local team in his "misremembrance"
Which leads to the conclusion that McCain will say anything in order to pander, or that he may have been full of shit to begin with.
Neither of which are qualities that a person seeking the presidency should have.
You may not give a rats ass about that, but I certainly do.
The difference between John Kerry's gaffe and this one is,. as previously noted, McCain is once again milking the POW tit for political advantage.
However, it is to be expected and we all will definitely hear more of this.
You want to see more shameless pandering? Take a look at LBJ being awarded the Silver Star in WWII, which was quite possibly the worst awarding of the second highest honor in the history of the award (he was given this medal for flying in a bomber, one time only< on a bombing run and the bomber actually turned around due to mechanical reasons short of target, true story)
I hope after November I never hear another word from McCain again. I've heard little from Kerry since 2004. I'd like to hear even less from McCain
This might be the one issue that forces the media and those not paying attention to really start to take notice of all the lies and pandering in this campaign. As sad as it may seem, people take sports very seriously in this country. If Pennsylvanians are pissed about being pandered to with this false story, and Wisconsin voters are annoyed that he changed his story, and it gets picked up by the media, it could really change the overall perception of the McCain campaign.
Oh shit, more important news, the Rooney's are selling? Say it aint so. One of the great families all time in sports owners
McCain's "straight talk" express has just jumped it's track and rolled over into the ditch.
When future dictionaries want to define "POLITICAL PANDERING," they will go right to McCain in Pittsburg.
McMediaSaysICan'tDoAnythingWrong
I need to say one more thing here.
What's the point of this post some of you ask? It's either that McCain is a liar and is playing out his campaign to get anyone to buy into him or he's just too old to be president. Come on people. It's a simple reality of life. Stop being so damn PC about everything. We all grow old and lose our capabilities.
I've dealt with all sorts of elderly diseases in my family all my life and if this isn't a sign of aging, mind loss, or worse, then it's a sign of either PTSD or flat out politcal pandering.
Given that, it's important don't you think?
carefulwiththatAXEeugene @ 53:
if he gave the Vietnamese the names of his squadron, what good would it do them. lets say they had the names of jim, bob, steve, bill ect. ect…. what good is going to do.
it’s really pointless. it’s like i have the name of the chinese communitst special forces wang, chang and yang. they are just common names.
It works like this: Let's say they have 50 Americans in a prison cell. If ONE GUY sez four of the others are in HIS SQUAD... now they have knowledge of personal relationships that can be leveraged for information. That's why they instructed us IN BASIC TRAINING to offer NAME, RANK, and SERIAL NUMBER... AND THAT'S ALL.
This USED TO BE a great story of bravery on McCain's part (when it was the incredible Packers of the sixties...) but now it will be reduced to shameless political pandering when he tells his story using the names of the Cowboys for interviews in Texas... and the names of the TWINS for interviews in the battleground state of Minnesota... and maybe the names of the National Curling Champions for interviews in North Dakota!
McfudginPackersSteelers?
Really! His only possible excuse for this would be his that his memory is really screwed up. It's quite possible that it is true. But if not, he is changing important details in his history just to play up to a particular audience. He also may be so out of touch media wise now that he thought nobody would notice. I've given up counting how many character flaws there are in this one incident that makes him unfit for any office.
...hard to keep up with all your lies, McSongbird?
odanny @ 60:
My understanding is that they are looking at value to determine if one member of the family can buy out the others. don't go full on panic quite yet.
Just recently, after the Wes Clark put down, McCain said he doesn't like to talk about his being a POW, and yet the question that was put to him here was "What do you think of when you think of Pittsburg?" He thinks about being tortured when he thinks about Pittsburg? Talk about going off course.
Next week its the Jets.
I bet the story was made up for the book anyway.
In reality he meant to reference the Stealers, the gang of Neocons he hangs with.
That's just low. Talk about using anything to get elected.
The reference to the Packers is published in his book. The video of his account using the Steelers is right there for all to watch. It sure isn't a flip flop, it's a premeditated lie. Too bad he got caught! It would have been fun watching his interviews in all the NFL cities!
This is terribly serious. McCain's true colors are really coming out lately! He's been a major fraud for his entire political career. He's been a master at becoming the little darling of every pundit he can get his hands on. It's at the point right now, that the reporters need to consider what their enabling this guy's fantasys is going to do to their careers! This guy is running for the highest office in the land, and I'm trusting we'll see that the voters are notified!
carefulwiththatAXEeugene @ 53:
There are actually 2 reasons. One is that in conjunction with information attended from other prisoners the resulting whole could be useful. And two is that it relaxes the prisonors sense of resistance to discuss trival things and then will have his guard down when the interrogater ask something of more importance. For Christs sake haven't you ever been pulled over for speeding or anything? The police use this very same tactic on even the most trival of traffic stops. It's SOP for interrogations. Just a little relaxful fishing expedition so to speak.
Janet @ 69:
He can say all he likes that he doesn't doesn't to talk about being a POW but this story indicates otherwise. Why else would he use this very bland question to bring up the war experiences? He had to say Pittsburg in the story because the answer had to be about Pittsburg and he was afraid he wouldn't get any other chance to bring up the POW business. Just as Giuliani was all "noun, verb, 9/11," McCain is rapidly becoming all "noun, verb, Viet Nam."
McCain the Liar @ 70:
I remember sitting in a Vietnamese prison cell, and telling myself to memorize the New Testament for strength
I'm sure this canard will be making the rounds as well .
The way 'Remember the Maine' McCain tells it he sold out two NFL teams to the enemy. That's sacrilege, he should be court marshalled for treason.
This is a total non-issue and is stupid for this fine website to even propose discussing. Get real.
Sincerely,
Obama supporter.
Oh give the tortured old man a break. Maybe he used the names of football players from both teams during different torture sessions. Who knows. Too much of this country thinks about professional football when they should be thinking of politics. It's a political suck up gone wrong. Big deal. Criticize the man on his positions on health care, Iraq, the economy. Show the man a little kindness on this one and go after him on Phil Gramm's comments instead. That's much more valid. Football is everything that's wrong with this country.
McCain is playing the American voters for suckers.
It might be a winning strategy.
I love the Maple Leafs, but I also love the Flames.
Seriously, c'mon guys. Is this really what we're using our ammo on?
He told this story after his fifth plane crash, right? I just want to get the story straight.
So McCain lied under torture, giving his harsh interogators false information that was useless to them. But the people that we bought from dubious sources in Afghanistan and other middle eastern locations for $2500.00 a piece wouldn't possibly give us false information.
McCain has a long habit of lying, whether it started in Vietnam or before, I don't know. But he has lied consistently, about everything, from that time on. From little things like this, to big things, like he doesn't remember votes on important issues. His biggest lie of all is his "straight talk express"!!!!
What stupid f*ckin non story this is.
Funny, when McCain was in Houston he said the same thing about the Texans.
GO STEELERS!
McCain explaining:" If you detect any discrepancies, then I must have been watching 'the Stealers..'.
Johnny2BadObamaCaved @ 83:
That's what McCain hopes for, too. Non story. It's cumulative. Not a day goes by without him saying something that reinforces the perception that he's not all there.
I worry that he's looking so bad (perception remember?) that the Repubs will find a way to dump him... as if there is a better replacement.
Leave John McCain alone! (Boo hoo, sniff sniff.) That poor man is getting on. He's allowed to misremember from time to time. Leave John alone!! (Sniff sniff, boo hoo.) He's going to be president soon and he'll take care of YOU! Leave John alone (boo hoo, sniff sniff), &c.
when he comes to Indy, I can't wait to hear about his recitation of the 2006 Super Bowl Colts offensive line names while in captivity. Let's see, there's Jeff Saturday at center,.....
Well not that I am a Hillary lover but what about the time she was talking about her trip under gun fire? The press jumped all over her. Where is the press with good old Johnnie.
So the guy was a POW...so what!? That doesn't make him qualified for ANYTHING.
McCain just wants to be the king of Reslug liars and criminals.
If this is pandering to win votes in a particular region this is definitely makes him a liar . . .
If it a memory problem, he might forget what the "red nuclear button" is for and he's incapable of being president . . .
Can't have it both ways Mr. McCain!
He remember's when he was in captivity there was this new internet start up called Apple he was thinking of blinking, in morse code, to his mother to purchase a hundred shares for him.
Someone in the "liberal media" needs to ask McCain if he could name the defensive line for the Steelers in 1967. If they had the cajones to ask such a question, I'm sure the first name to come out of his mouth would be Mean Joe Greene. WRONG!! Greene entered the NFL in 1969. There was no such thing as a Steel Curtain until the 1970s. But, then again, I'm not expecting such interrogation (sorry) from our liberal media.
Where are the "SONGBIRDS" when you need them? How many films did he make?
What did he threaten to stiffle them?
RepubAnon @ 3:
McCrazy never gives specifics when asked about being tortured, why? I say his medical records DO NOT support his continual nonsense about being tortured! Come on "Crash", spill the beans, confession is good for an old fuckin' fossil, such as yourself!
how emphatic of a "SO?" can I say to this?
tballou @ 2:
I agree. This is a gaffe that should be left aside. The concept of ridiculing any kind of recollection of torture is not helpful.
I wonder how many people here that are calling for McCain's hide because of a lie gave Bill Clinton a pass. Clinton lied under oath in a court proceeding, but many folks said it was a private matter. Don't get me wrong, I think McCain is a sociopath and will be a disaster for this country, but I just can't stand the hypocrisy of politics today. That's why I voted for Ron Paul.
Who gives a crap whether it's the Steelers or Packers? All this latching onto a candidate's single word or phrase or misstatement and hammering it as some kind of character flaw is driving me batty. Who gives a rat's arse? Stick to the true issues or I'll quit spending time on this site, which I typically enjoy.
Workin'_Joe@100
If it's not the Packers/Steelers, it's McStraightTalk saying he supported the last VA bill when he actually voted against it. The man flips, flops, panders and lies. This episode is just one more piece of evidence.
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
I bet it's all a lie. When he was floating down on his parachute he peed his pants saying, "Don't hurt me. My daddy's the admiral." Then he squealed his buddy's real names. He made up the first story about Green Bay when he got home to cover for rolling over so fast. That's the problem with lying. You have no real experiences to help you remember what you said. It's the only explanation that is politically correct. Saying he forgot would be saying he is too OLD, and we've been told by the media that we mustn't.
See who the first wife of John McCain is working for now and who she contributed to
http://webofdeception.com/#carolsheppmccain
THIS IS FAR FROM BEING AN ISSUE . LOOK MORE AT THE VOTING RECORD OF THE cocky bama !!!!!
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID LAST YEAR ABOUT THINGS !!1
# 64, I remember our instructions the same way, and I went into the army in 1968. My impression is that if he gave ANY information, true or false, beyond name, rank and serial # that he could be court-martialed for it. Likely at least one prisoner had a name similar to whatever he said, so they could edit and play the tape and make that soldier think he had been ratted out. My guess is that McCain DID follow the instruction and only gave name, rank, and serial #, but that later, when running for office (and beyond prosecution), he told an urban legend story that he had heard others (boastfully lying) tell. It worked and he told it again, but it's hard to be consistent when you are not telling the truth. Someon ought to follow up on when he FIRST told this story.
Is this a real issue? Totally pathetic. Hope you can come up with some better criticsm of a man who was tortured for his service to our country!
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